Moses Itauma is grateful for Oleksandr Usyk’s praise, but would still like to fight the unified heavyweight world champion.
Itauma is only 20 years old but has so impressed in his rapid rise through the ranks that even Usyk has identified the Briton as a potential successor as a future heavyweight world champion.
“When I hear something like that, normally I push it to the side,” Itauma told Sky Sports. “It does me no favours if I listen to it, so I kind of have to block it out.
“But when he says something like that, that really caught my attention, only because he has done absolutely everything you can in this sport.
“About to do it three times over if he gets the fight with Daniel [Dubois for the undisputed crown]. So for him to say that is very big and I appreciate Usyk and I’m definitely a fan of his. But him saying that, that’s big. That actually means something.
“Because he knows. He knows the talent. It takes talent to see talent and I think he knows.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Listen to the explosive impact of Moses Itauma’s punches from the front row as he demolished Demsey McKean in Riyadh
Speaking to Sky Sports at Park Chinois, Itauma added: “I’m not doing it for Usyk’s praise. I’m doing it for myself and my family.
“But at the same time, I definitely appreciate that. I need to go and prove that right now. That’s putting big pressures on my shoulders.”
Itauma has high expectations of himself. After blazing through Demsey McKean inside the first round in his last contest, the rising star believes he is two fights – “two proper fights” – away from boxing for a world title himself.
Usyk has previously told Sky Sports that he expects to only box twice more in his career. It means he is unlikely to cross paths with Itauma directly.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Could we have been witnessing a future heavyweight champion in Itauma after his emphatic first-round stoppage win over McKean?
The young Briton thinks Usyk will fight IBF titlist Daniel Dubois and then Joseph Parker. “But I want it to be Dubois and me. That would be good,” Itauma said.
“Just to say that I’ve shared the ring with him would be nice. Because I’ve shared the ring with Dubois [in sparring], I’ve shared the ring with [Anthony] Joshua, I’ve shared the ring with [Martin] Bakole, [Joe] Joyce, Tyson [Fury]. The only person I haven’t is Usyk, so that would be nice to share the ring with him – whether it’s sparring or fighting.”
